Living and working in Charleston, South Carolina has definitely shaped how I enjoy various ingredients when it comes to recipe development work. And when it comes to which season is my favorite, it’s definitely summer. The fresh and local produce is always so delicious and I love enjoying green tomatoes during these months.

Typically, green tomatoes get their shine with being fried but I wanted to take a little bit of a different route with making a nice little relish to put on different dishes for the week. My first thought was using Spice Tribe’s sea salt and cracked pepper for some simplicity and then pumping up the spice and depth with the Ancient Halaby blend. This blend is one of my constants while cooking with its combination of Aleppo pepper, sumac, garlic, lemon peel, and more. It’s such a great flavor addition to dishes and I love using it often.

This green tomato relish comes together all in one pot or pan and tastes great as a garnish on sandwiches, hot dogs (which is how I enjoyed it), with some eggs, and more; it’s a nice balance of savory, sweet, and spice. Let’s get cooking!

Green Tomato Relish

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 2-4

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil

1/2 large white onion, diced

1 medium cubanelle pepper, de-seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 large green tomatoes, diced

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1 1/2 tablespoon cane sugar (or white granulated)

Large pinch Spice Tribe California Coast Sea Salt

Large pinch Spice Tribe Late Harvest Black Peppercorns, cracked

1 teaspoon Spice Tribe Ancient Halaby Spice Blend

1/4 cup diced pimentos, with brine

Splash distilled white vinegar or red wine vinegar

In a large saucepan or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté the onion and cubanelle pepper until the onion is slightly soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Fold in the diced tomatoes and stir to fully combine the onions, garlic, and tomatoes.

Season the tomato mixture with the bay leaf, celery seeds, sugar, sea salt, cracked pepper, and Ancient Halaby spice blend. Fold in the diced pimentos and add a splash of the vinegar. Stir to combine everything together.

Turn the heat down to low and simmer and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for at least 20 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and flavors have melded. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Turn heat off and let cool. Depending on the tomatoes (and how much juice they release), feel free to use a slotted spoon to avoid putting too much liquid while garnishing on a sandwich or hot dog. I spooned some on some jumbo hot dogs with spicy brown mustard, Hawaiian sweet buns, and another few sprinkles of the Ancient Halaby blend. And it was amazing! Enjoy!